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Hot Button: Lightning advance to conference final … Saints’ Kamara holding out? … NFL to paint social justice messages on field

Bob Maddamma
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Hot Button is a 'round-the-clock feature that covers anything across the scope of sports. We're here to bring you everything hot: news items, highlights, takes — everything but hot meals — whether local, national or international. Better yet, it’s interactive. Share your thoughts in comments, and even post your own links to interesting, safe-for-work sports stories.

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📌 HEDMAN SENDS LIGHTNING TO EC FINALS

Monday, August 31: Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman scored at 14:10 of the second overtime period to defeat the Bruins, 3-2, and advance Tampa Bay to the Eastern Conference Finals, eliminating the Boston four games to one:

Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 45 saves and is now 9-3 in the 2020 playoffs with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.

The Lightning now await the winner of the Islanders-Flyers series. The Islanders lead three games to one; Game 5 is Tuesday at 7 p.m.

In other action Monday night, the Avalanche staved off elimination with a 6-3 victory over the Stars, scoring five first-period goals. The Stars now lead the series three games to two with Game 6 scheduled Wednesday, time TBD. — Bob

KAMARA ABSENT THIRD STRAIGHT DAY

Monday, August 31: Saints Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara has been absent for the last three days of practice without team permission. Reports indicate it may be contract related:

Kamara has made the Pro Bowl in each of his three NFL seasons after the Saints drafted him in the third round, 67th overall, in the 2017 draft. He is entering the last year of his four-year, $3.86-million rookie contract but was confident entering training camp that he and the Saints could reach agreement on an extension. It appears that may no longer be the case. — Bob

NFL END ZONES GET MESSAGES FOR 2020

Monday, August 31: The National Football League announced Monday more in-game social justice initiatives for the 2020 season. Each end zone will carry a painted message along the goal line; on will be "It Takes All of Us" and the other will be "End Racism." Also, the league approved pregame warm-up t-shirts designed by Texans safety Michael Thomas that has “Injustice against one of us is injustice against all of us,” on the front and “End racism” on the back.

Players an also wear shirts in warmups that bear a victim's name or one of four approved phrases: "Black Lives Matter," "End Racism," "It Takes All of Us," or "Stop Hate." — Bob

CHARGERS LOSE SAFETY JAMES FOR SEASON

Monday, August 31: The Chargers have lost safety Derwin James for the 2020 season due to a torn meniscus during Sunday's practice. James is expected to be out six to eight months.

James was selected to the Pro Bowl and was First Team All-Pro his rookie season in 2018, but a stress fracture in his foot limited him to just five games last season.

The timing is poor for the Chargers as one of the top free-agent defensive backs, Logan Ryan, signed with the Giants earlier Monday, but Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said he is confident in his "stacked" secondary, denying that the team is interested in signing free agent Earl Thomas to replace James. — Bob

JAGS MOVE ON FROM TROUBLING BACK

Monday, August 31: The Jaguars waived running back Leonard Fournette Monday, bringing and end to much team drama.

Fournette's troubles with the team began after he was suspended in 2018 for fighting and the Jaguars moved to void the guaranteed money clause in his contract as conduct detrimental to the team. Jacksonville then declined Fournette's fifth-year option this offseason — he was drafted in the first round, 4th overall, in 2017 — and sought to trade him, but had little leverage due to his problems off the field.

Fournette has been very productive in his three NFL seasons, rushing for 2,631 yards and 17. touchdowns in 36 games while catching 134 passes for 1,009 yards and two scores.

If he clears waivers, Fournette will be a free agent, However, he is owed just $4.17 million in salary this season — cheap enough for that kind of production to get claimed, I would assume. — Bob

NCAA COACHING LEGEND THOMPSON DIES

Monday, August 31: Legendary Hall of Fame Georgetown coach John Thompson, the first Black coach to win an NCAA national championship, died Monday in Oropesa del Mar, Spain. He was 78. No cause of death was reported.

Tributes across the basketball world immediately came pouring in:

Thompson coached 27 years at Georgetown from 1972-1999, turning that program into a perennial Big East Conference and NCAA power. He had one losing season — his first season at the helm. He compiled a 596-232 career record (196-110 in the Big East), won seven Big East titles, had 20 NCAA Tournament appearances and took his team to three NCAA championship games, winning the title in 1984 over Hakeem Olajuwon's "Phi Slama Jama" Houston Cougars.

Thompson was tough but revered by his players — guard Allen Iverson credited him with saving his life — and had extremely high graduation rates for four-year players in his tenure (72 of 74) and had 26 players play in the NBA, including four Hall-of-Famers: Iverson, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo and Patrick Ewing, Georgetown's current head coach.

Thompson, 6-foot-10, was a four-year center at Providence and was drafted in the third round by the Celtics in 1964. He won two NBA championships as a bench player before entering the high school coaching ranks in 1966. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. — Bob

HANSEN SELLING TEAMS UNDER PRESSURE

Sunday, August 30: Dell Loy Hansen has decide to see his ownership group, Utah Soccer Holdings — owners of Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake, Nation Women's Soccer League's Utah Royals and USL Championship's Real Monarchs and affiliated assets — under pressure, following investigations by MLS and NWSL into Hansen's alleged repeated use of racist language.

The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that the NBA's Utah Jazz ownership group, Larry H. Miller Sports Group, has interest in purchasing all three teams. — Bob

VIKINGS DEAL FOR NGAKOUE

Sunday, August 30: The Jaguars have reached a deal in principal with the Vikings to trade defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to Minnesota in exchange for second-round draft pick and conditional fifth-round draft pick which could go as high as a third-rounder.

Ngakoue was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2017 and has been remarkably durable for the Jaguars since they drafted him in the third round, 69th overall, in the 2016 draft to of Maryland, playing in 63 of 64 games (62 starts) and compiling impressive statistics: 37.5 sacks (85 quarterback hits), 42 tackles for a loss and 14 forced fumbles. He is currently on a one-year, $17,778,000 contract and is scheduled to be a free agent in 2021. — Bob

MANNY TO SLUG DOWN UNDER

Sunday, August 30: 12-time All-Star and World Series MVP Manny Ramirez is returning to professional baseball for the first time since 2013, signing with the Sydney Blue Sox of the Australia Baseball League.

The 48-year-old last played in the Chinese Professional Baseball League in 2013, following a 2011 Major League Baseball suspension for a banned substance which forced Ramirez into retirement. He made overtures to the CPBL in late April for a return to that league but was unable to negotiate a suitable contract.

Ramirez finished his 19-year MLB career with 555 home runs and 1831 RBIs, slashing an impressive .312/.412/.585 while making 12 All-Star games and winning nine Silver Slugger awards. — Bob

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